U-shaped intravenous needle structure

ABSTRACT

This invention provides a U-shaped intravenous needle structure including a rigid hollow needle, a curved rigid tube portion connected thereto and connecting means for connection to a source of intravenous fluid. The U-shaped member permits the use of a direct, flexible tubing between the structure and the intravenous source, or bottle, thus reducing the danger of inadvertent lateral movement of the needle relative to the body.

United States Patent 11 1 Dunn 1 r 1 1 Mar. 11, 1975 1 U-SHAPED INTRAVENOUS NEEDLE STRUCTURE [76] lnventor: Allan R. Dunn, 1160 Kane Concourse, Bay Harbor lslands, Miami Beach, Fla. 33154 221 Filed: Mar. 28, 1974 211 App]. No.: 455,546

[52] US. Cl. 128/214 R, 128/221 [51] Int. Cl. A61m 05/14, A61m 05/32 [58] Field of Search 128/214R,214 A,214 B,

128/214 C, 214.2, 215,221, 218 N, 272, 347, 133, DIG. 6, DIG. 26

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,217,630 2/1917 Powers 128/218 N 3 324,853 6/1967 Czorny et a1. 128/221 X $608,539 9/1971 Miller 128/2 B 3 630.195 12/1971 Santomieri 128/214 R X 5/1973 Santomieri 128/221 X 3,826,257 1 7/1974 Busclmeicr 128/214 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLlCATlONS 621,283 4/1949 Great Britain 128/221 723,464 1/1932 France 128/133 Primary E.\'aminerDa1t0n L. Truluck Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Li1ling & Siegel [57] 7 ABSTRACT This invention provides a U-shaped intravenous needle structure including a rigid hollow needle, a curved rigid tube portion connected thereto and connecting means for connection to a source of intravenous fluid. The U-shaped member permits the use of a direct. flexible tubing between the structure and the intravenous source, or bottle, thus reducing the danger of inadvertent lateral movement of the needle relative to the body.

8 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEU 1 1975 SHEET .2 0F 2 U-SHAPED INTRAVENOUS NEEDLE STRUCTURE Venous infusion is a conventional medical procedure wherein blood, medications or other desirable fluids, including nutriments, can be fed directly into the blood system of the patient being treated. It is extremely im portant that the infusion needle be held firmly and safely at a venipuncture site in the patients body, e.g. usually through the patients arm, or other extremity. Conventional intravenous infusion procedures gener ally comprise performing a venipuncture in a patients, e.g., arm, utilizing a hollow needle to which an infusion tubing is attached. Commonly, the tubing attached to the needle must be flexed 180 to the direction of the I.V. bottle which is usually near the shoulder or head of the patient.

Once the puncture has been made and the needle inserted within the vein, it is extremely important to prevent inadvertent lateral movement of the needle relative to the body portion, e.g., arm, when the patient moves or even merely flexes the muscles in the immediate vicinity of the needle. Lateral movement of the needle relative to the body can cause the flesh to tear around the puncture site, causing irritation of the puncture site and increasing the susceptibility to phlebitis. Further, lateral movement of the needle can result in the withdrawal of the sharpened end of the needle from the vein, inadvertently, which can cause a potentially dangerous, hematoma, or leakage of blood from the venipuncture site.

One common method of avoiding the dangers of lateral movement has been to form a reverse loop in the flexible infusion tube at a point immediately adjacent the venipuncture site and to tape the loop to the skin of the patient, as with an adhesive tape. It has further been found, moreover, that merely forming the loop is not sufficient and it is generally necessary to further immobilize the body portion, especially an arm, by strapping the arm onto a rigid board or other straight member. Further, when taping the infusion tube to the arm, the infusion tube quite often has a tendency to work free with movement of the arm.

The art has been concernedabout these matters and various attempts have been made to solve the problem. For example, Santomieri, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,630,195, describes an apparatus for adhesively holding a looped infusion tube adjacent a venipuncture site. The apparatus comprises a generally flat body member formed of a resilient plastic material and having recesses formed in opposing side edges which are so contoured as to snugly receive portions of the periphery of the looped infusion tube at two ends of the loop. Although such a device does in part avoid the problem, the medical worker is still left with a flexible tube which can readily move in relation to the holding apparatus or, alternatively, if the apparatus were to hold the loop excessively tightly, the infusion tube would be pinched, thus resulting in a decrease of internal cross-section or perhaps complete closing off ofthe tube to the infusing liquid.

The danger of the sharp needle inserted in the vein of the patient is of course avoided when using a flexible catheter in place of the needle as the permanent infusion apparatus. Such devices are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,753,432; 3,225,762. The use of such catheters, however, in lieu of the rigid needle, although safer, does result in a loss of the versatility available when a needle is retained as part of the intravenous infusion system. Accordingly, a system whereby the needle can be utilized, but is rendered substantially safe, is extremely valuable to the medical practitioners.

In accordance'with the present invention, a curved, rigid, intravenous needle structure is provided, which can be readily connected to conventional infusion apparatus but which results in a needle which is not prone to lateral movements relative to the body member of a patient and which does not require the use of a rigid board member to restrain the patients body member, e.g. arm, from movement, during the period of the intravenous infusion. The rigid intravenous needle structure of this invention includes an integral U-shaped needle which can be directly connected to an infusion tube, which is in turn connected to a source, e.g. a bottle, of infusible liquid. Alternatively, the rigid intravenous needle structure of the present invention comprises a nonintegral construction comprising a substan tially straight needle element connected to a curved rigid tube member comprising a connector means designed and adapted to be contacted to the infusion type apparatus.

The further advantages of the present invention should become apparent from reference to the herewith enclosed drawings and the following detailed description of specific embodiments thereof. The belowdescribed embodiments are intended to be merely exemplary of the scope of the claimed invention and are not inclusive thereof. Obvious and equivalent modifications of the following embodiments are intended to be patient;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view in perspective showing a needle constructed in accordance with this invention and the manner in which it is attached to the tubing;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing an alternate embodiment wherein the needle is straight, but is connected to a curved adapter or connecting element;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal view in perspective showing yet another alternate embodiment of the invention comprising a straight intravenous needle in combination with a housing.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal view in perspectiveshowing another alternate embodiment of the invention wherein a straight needle is utilized in combination with a housing having an intersecting passageway therein.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal view in perspective of an embodiment alternate to the embodiment of FIG. 4 wherein an alternate type of connection is provided for the needle at one end of the curved passageway in the housing member.

FIG. 7 is a view in perspective of yet another embodiment wherein a straight needle is used in combination with a housing member having intravenous tubing embedded or sandwiched therein.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view through a vein following the insertion of the pointed rigid portion of the needle construction of the present invention through the flesh of the patient and into a vein.

Reference is initially made to FIG. 1 which shows an overall stylized view of a standard intravenousinfusion apparatus attached to the arm of the patient. As shown,

the intravenous solution reservior, the bottle is located above the level of the arm and generally behind the arm, i.e. generally over the shoulder of the patient,

not shown. An infusion tube 12 extends from the bottle 10 and is in fluid flow connection therewith. Thetube 12 is then conventionally connected to the intravenous needle which is inserted into the body of the patient. In

the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1, infusion tube 12 is connected to the curved needle in accordance withthe present invention, indicated generally by the numeral 14 and shown in greater detail in FIG. 2. The tube 12 is connected to the integral needle 14 'by a standard universal intravenous tubing coupling comprising the converging tubing member 15 and the hub 16 in rigid connection with the curved, rigid needle portion 18. As clearly shown from FIG. 1, the construction of the curved, rigid needle portion 18 permits the use of a straight, flexible tubing line 12, without need of reverse loops, and avoids the problem of movementof the needle relative to the arm of the patient. The center lines of the needle 18 and of hub 16 are optimally in the same plane and the angle formed therebetween should be from about 150 to about l80.

As is shown in the drawing of FIG. 1, the curved needle structure 14 is held onto the arm of the patient merely by a flexible adhesive strip 20 and there is no need for immobilizing the arm of the patient in any other manner.

The intravenous needle structure of FIG. 3 comprises a two-part rigid construction. The rigid needle member 22 has a hub 24 in rigid connection therewith and is generally formed integrally therewith. Attached to this rigid needle member is a rigid, curved tube member 26 in fluid-tight connection with the hub 24 of needle 22 at one end and comprising a hub 28 at its other end, designed-and adapted to fit a standard universal I.V. coupling as shown in FIG. 2. The rigid tube 26 can be formed of a rigid, transparent oropaque plastic or other rigid material such as metal or hard rubber. Again, the central line of curved tube .26 and of the rigid needle member 22 form a single plane and the angle between the central lines are preferably from about 150 to 180. It should of course be noted that when an angle of 180 is referred to, it means that the two central lines are parallel.

A three-piece embodiment of the curved intravenous needle structure in accordance with the present invention, is shown in FIG. 4. In this embodiment, a rigid needle member 30, having agenerally straight construction, is attached via hub 32, formed integral therewith, to the interior of a curved, tube member 34, formed integral with a flat housing 36. The second end of the curved tube 34 is connected to a standard universal I.V. hub portion 38 which can be connected to a conventional intravenous infusion tubing as shown in FIG. 2, for example. The housing 36 and integrally formed tubing 34 have the advantage of being readily moldable and providing a flat surface for direct attachment to the hand or arm of the patient. The one side of the housing member 36 can havean adhesive material applied thereto which can be directly adhered to the body of the patient. The device of FIG. 4 can, for example, be constructed to two substantially rigid flat sheets 36a, h of plastic or other rigid material, each having formed into its surface a generally U-sahped depression in accordance with FIG. 4. The straight needle member and hub 38 can-then be placed within the two ends of a U-shaped depression in one piece 36a, the second sheet applied thereover and the sandwich sealed together as byconventional heat sealing methods, when, in the preferred embodiment, the sheets 36a, b are formed of a thermoplastic material. When formed of a thermosetting material, a conventional adhesive material, such as a thermoplastic resin, can be utilized to seal the ends of the tube 34 onto needle 30 and the hub 38. r

The individual sheets of the housing 36a, 12, and the sandwich housing 36, can be flexible so as to bend around the horizontal and vertical axes A and B in and out of the plane of the sheet, but the relationship between needle 30 and hub 38 Le. the angle formed between the two members, will not be affected. Such a housing, which is flexible in two planes, is useful, for example, for affixing the needle in a scalp vein.

FIG. 5 is another alternative embodiment, including a housing as shown in FIG. 4, but including a second intersecting passage way 40 molded into the housing members 42 substantially in line with the straight rigid needle member 44. The housing is again formed of two molded sheets 42a and 42b adhered together to form the tubes 40 and 46, to which are attached the needle 44 and the hub portion 48 in the same manner as described above for FIG. 4.

In theexample of FIG. 6, the housing is formed in substantially the same manner as in FIG. 4, however the needle comprises a conventional intravenous needle including a standard I.V. hub 50 and the straight needle portion 52. A coupling element comprising a converging tube 54 is adhered and placed into the partially flexible housing 56 (again, formed of two adhered sheets 56a and 56b), the second end of the U-shaped tube 57 is connected to a standard I.V. hub 58 in the same manner as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 above.

Yet anotherembodiment of the partially flexible housing is shown in FIG. 7 where the I.V. tubing is embedded between the housing sheets 60 and connected to a coupling member 62 to fit into the standard I.V. needle 64 including a straight needle portion 65 and a conventional hub 66.

In all of the above embodiments, the tubing and plastic housing can be formed of conventional rigid and flexible plastic materials including polyethylene, polypropylene and polyvinylchloride, as well as acrylic materials, where a rigid member is required. The needle referred to in each case can be a conventional intravenous needle, generally formed of stainless steel. The stopper shown in the intersecting channel 40, in the housing of FIG. 5, can be removable or can be formed of rubber, or other self-sealing material, which can be punctured by, for example, a hypodermic needle, in order to inject orobtain samples of material from the vein into which the intravenous needle 44 is inserted.

The above described and detailed embodiments of the invention, are presented for purposes of exemplifying the invention. It will be appreciated, however, that many changes and modifications can be made to the embodiment shown above without departing from the essential spirit or characteristics of the invention. The scope of the invention is to be indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all the changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore to be embraced therein.

The embodiments of the invention which are claimed are as follows:

1. A U-shaped intravenous needle structure comprisa rigid, hollow, needle designed and adapted for performing a venipuncture in a patients extremity;

a hollow, curved, rigid tube member having an opening at each end of the curve, one end of the curve being in fluid connection with and firmly secured to the needle; and

connecting means designed and adapted to be connected to a source of intravenous fluid, the connection means being in fluid flow connection with and firmly secured to the second end of the curve,

the center lines of the needle and the connecting means being in substantially the same plane and at an angle to each other of from about 150 to about 180.

2. The structure of claim 1, comprising a unitary, in-

tegral, U-shaped structure.

3. The structure of claim 1, comprising a nonintegral structure wherein the curved tube is formed as part of a flat housing including the tube therethrough.

4. The structure of claim 3, wherein the housing comprises a pair of flat sheets, each sheet having formed therein a curved depression, the two sheets being substantially identical and adhered together so as to define a sealed curved tube having openings at the two ends of the curve.

5. The structure of claim 4, wherein the individual sheets are formed of relatively flexible, polymeric plastic material.

6. The structure of claim 1, comprising a nonintegral structure wherein the curved tube is a separate rigid member in fluid tight connection with the needle and the connecting means.

7. The structure of claim 1, comprising a nonintegral structure wherein the curved tube is formed integral with a standard connector means for intravenous tubing at one end of the curved portion, the second end of the curve is in fluid-tight connection with the needle.

8. The structure of claim 3, wherein the housing is formed of a synthetic, thermoplastic polymeric plastic. =l= 

1. A U-shaped intravenous needle structure comprising: a rigid, hollow, needle designed and adapted for performing a venipuncture in a patient''s extremity; a hollow, curved, rigid tube member having an opening at each end of the curve, one end of the curve being in fluid connection with and firmly secured to the needle; and connecting means designed and adapted to be connected to a source of intravenous fluid, the connecting means being in fluid flow connection with and firmly secured to the second end of the curve; the center lines of the needle and the connecting means being in substantially the same plane and at an angle to each other of from about 150* to about 180*.
 1. A U-shaped intravenous needle structure comprising: a rigid, hollow, needle designed and adapted for performing a venipuncture in a patient''s extremity; a hollow, curved, rigid tube member having an opening at each end of the curve, one end of the curve being in fluid connection with and firmly secured to the needle; and connecting means designed and adapted to be connected to a source of intravenous fluid, the connecting means being in fluid flow connection with and firmly secured to the second end of the curve; the center lines of the needle and the connecting means being in substantially the same plane and at an angle to each other of from about 150* to about 180*.
 2. The structure of claim 1, comprising a unitary, integral, U-shaped structure.
 3. The structure of claim 1, comprising a nonintegral structure wherein the curved tube is formed as part Of a flat housing including the tube therethrough.
 4. The structure of claim 3, wherein the housing comprises a pair of flat sheets, each sheet having formed therein a curved depression, the two sheets being substantially identical and adhered together so as to define a sealed curved tube having openings at the two ends of the curve.
 5. The structure of claim 4, wherein the individual sheets are formed of relatively flexible, polymeric plastic material.
 6. The structure of claim 1, comprising a nonintegral structure wherein the curved tube is a separate rigid member in fluid tight connection with the needle and the connecting means.
 7. The structure of claim 1, comprising a nonintegral structure wherein the curved tube is formed integral with a standard connector means for intravenous tubing at one end of the curved portion, the second end of the curve is in fluid-tight connection with the needle. 